Monday, July 9, 2012

Lord of Fire and Ice by Mia Marlowe & Connie Mason (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I would like to welcome historical romance author, Mia Marlowe, who is joining us today with her new release of Lord of Fire and Ice


Thanks for having me here at Reading Between the Wines to share a little about my newest release LORD OF FIRE AND ICE. It’s the story of Brandr and Katla, a viking warrior and the woman who claimed him as her slave.

I always love to write alpha heroes, but that means my heroines have to be strong women who are more than their equal. Katla is a widow who runs a prosperous steading that supports around 30 souls. She must constantly fight to keep hunger and cold from her people, to protect and lead them. She reminds me of a single mom, who’s constantly juggling so many responsibilities she doesn’t have time for herself.

I love this scene because it gives the readers a peek into Katla’s deepest desires, the ones she won’t let herself recognize she has. She’s presiding over the night meal in the long house with all her people when the piper plays a tune that reaches into her chest and forces her to confront her needs. Hope you enjoy it!


The yearning tune called I Dreamed a Dream curled from the pipe, the tone pure and sweet, wrapped about with breath. The wistfulness of the song stole around Katla’s heart and squeezed.

She, too, had dreamed a dream.

She longed for children and a man to help her raise them. Someone to bear half her load. To be desired for herself alone, not for her land or any other gain.

She ached for love, not just for a joining. She wanted someone to steal her breath away. She yearned for it, straining like the bittersweet melody, stretched almost to the breaking point.

The song went on and on, plucking at Katla’s soul, piercing her weakest point. A tear trembled on her lashes. She swiped it away angrily before anyone could see.

At this point in her life, she’d expected to have so much more. Someone to love her despite her faults, someone whose soul fitted neatly with the bends and crooks in hers.

How could the unknown creator of this tune possibly know the despair she felt?

By the time the song reached its end, Katla had to cover her mouth to keep from sobbing. There was suddenly not enough air in the great hall. While the rest of the company pounded their approval, Katla rose and fled to her chamber.

Not bothering to light her lamp, she threw herself on the bed and buried her face in the linens, where it was safe to give vent to her grief. She wept into the feather tick as she hadn’t wept at her husband’s graveside.

She’d never know the mighty passion. Never hear her beloved’s voice whispering a secret language only the two of them shared. No one would ever want her merely for herself.

The death of a dream was even harder to bear than the loss of a husband. She drenched the Frankish linens with her tears.

The latch of the heavy door clicked, but she didn’t look up. She knew who it was. No one else would be so bold as to enter her chamber without permission.

Lamplight flickered to life, sending his long shadow wavering against the back wall.

“What do you want, Brandr?”

“You.”

Katla swiped her eyes with her forearm and sat up. She blew her nose loudly into a small square of cloth and crumpled it in her hand. Then she turned to face him. He looked at her with an intensity that should have scared her. Instead, it made her breath catch.

“I won’t free you simply because you bed me,” she warned.

“I’m not asking to be freed,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “But I do intend to bed you.”




LORD OF FIRE AND ICE BY CONNIE MASON AND MIA MARLOWE – IN STORES JULY 2012
His Duty is to Fulfill Her Every Desire...Brandr the Far–Traveled has seen the world and a good many of the beautiful women in it. His bed skills are the stuff of steamy legend, his sword sings death, and he can call up fire from thin air. No one in a hundred years ever thought he could be enslaved through trickery and forced to wear the iron collar of a thrall—least of all him.

Until All She Desires is Him...Katla the Black isn't just called so for her dark, silky hair. His new mistress has a temper as fierce as a warrior's and a heart as icy as the frozen North. But inch by delicious inch, Brandr means to make her melt...




ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Connie Mason is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 novels. She was named Storyteller of the Year in 1990 and received a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times in 1994. She currently lives in Florida. Mia Marlowe is a highly acclaimed new voice in romance whose debut novel released in Spring 2011 from Kensington. She lives in Boston, MA. Together, they are working on a new Regency romance series for Sourcebooks Casablanca, the first of which will be in stores in January 2013. For more information, please visit http://www.conniemason.com/, http://miamarlowe.com/ and follow Mia on Twitter @Mia_Marlowe.


~*GIVEAWAY*~
Sourcebooks is giving away one copy of Lord of Fire and Ice to one US/Canadian reader today. To enter, just leave a comment or questions for Mia and then fill out the Rafflecopter below. Additional entries are available but not required. Good luck! 


40 comments:

  1. Do you have any more projects with Connie Mason in the works?

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  2. That first picture is amazing! Thank you for the blurb.

    sionedkla@gmail.com

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  3. This sounds like an exciting book! Can't wait to read it!

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  4. Thanks for the great post and excerpt. It seems like Katla is the perfect heroine for Brandr. This book sounds fantastic. Can't wait to read it.

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  5. Mia, many of your book have Viking and medieval settings. Why is that? What is it about that culture and time period that draws you? I too enjoy books like that so I'm curious :-)

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  6. Betty, thanks for asking. Connie and I just finishing up Book 2 in our Royal Rakes series, ROMANCED BY A RAKE. Next up is BETWEEN A RAKE AND A HARD PLACE. Look for the start of the series, WAKING UP WITH A RAKE in January 2013!

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  7. Kassandra--I can't take credit for the first pic. That's from the lovely folks here at Reading Between the Wines.

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  8. Thanks, May. We try to mix in some adventure and action with our romance!

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  9. Joanna--He doesn't think so at first. You might enjoy his reaction when her first order as his new master is for him to kiss her foot. It's posted on my website on the LORD OF FIRE AND ICE book page <

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  10. I have nothing against Regency and I love the Victorian era, but I also enjoy the darker, grittier time periods as well. There's something to be said for an experience that's more primal.

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  11. Connie Mason isn't a new author to me but Mia Marlowe is. It sounds like a great read. I love historical romances. It makes me feel like I'm being transported to another time. It is like my own personal time travel lol.

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  12. Thanks for the great giveaway. I would love to read both books. They sound very good. Tore923@aol.com

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  13. Mia Marlowe & Connie Mason are two of the best authors of romance. I can't wait to read them together!


    annfesATyahooDOTcom

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  14. Thank you for sharing the blurb. It sounds too good to be missed. I'm adding this to my TBR list immediately. Interesting that you compared Katla to a single mom, who cares more for the people around her than seeing to her own needs. I'd imagine that is why she doesn't just fall at Brandr's feet despite all of his "hotness". I'm sure any single mom would be very weary of letting just any man get that close too soon. He'll have to fight hard to earn her love and respect. I can't see Brandr having a problem with that :) Thank you for the excerpt and for the chance to win your book.

    mwilsonart(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. The book sounds fantastic. sounds like a great collaboration! thank you!

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  16. It will be fun to read how Brandr wins Katla over (love their names - different, but I think I can pronounce them as I read).
    sallans d at yahoo dot com

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  17. Congrats on the new release! It sounds fantastic!

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  18. The book sounds great. Connie is a new author for me. Had read one of Mia's books and enjoyed it. My questions are: do you prefer to write stand-alones or series? What are your go to/auto-buy authors? Top 3. Thanks for the great giveaway.
    Christinebails@yahoo.com

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  19. Yes, strong women are definitely needed to match an alpha male. I like reading about them and I find smart heroines makes the story even better.

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  20. I love a man who takes charge :) Brandr tells it like he feels.
    I've read you Mia and Connie for a few years now and can't help but say the collaboration between you both means an excellent read for us readers. Thanks for sharing the post with us.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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  21. Kaylyn--That's how I feel too. Historical romance is the ultimate armchair travel and you still get to sleep in your own bed!

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  22. Soft Fuzzy Sweater--Thanks so much for those kind words.

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  23. Michelle--I have such respect for single moms. They carry a heavy load and most of them do it with amazing grace and less grumpiness that Katla sometimes shows. So I wanted to give them a character who's shouldering a similar burden a smashing HEA !

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  24. Carrie--Love the title of your blog! Who doesn't love lazing in a hammock?

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  25. Di--Finding authentic old Norse names that are easily accessible to a modern audience was a real challenge. Glad you like Brandr and Katla.

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  26. Erin, we're pretty pumped about this book. It's getting some great reviews.

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  27. Chrisbails--Wow! That's a switch. Usually it's me who's the "new to me author." Great questions too. I do enjoy being able to expand the world building into a series, which is what Connie and I are working on now. It gives more scope for secondary characters to come back and play a role in the current story. But in romance, since HEA is required, a series usually means new main characters for each book. My top 3 auto-buy authors? Very tough to narrow it down, but here goes--Sherry Thomas, Loretta Chase, and Elizabeth Hoyt.

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  28. Na--The strong female character was one of the reasons I loved the movie AVATAR so much. However, she demanded an uber-alpha, which James Cameron thoughtfully supplied.

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  29. Carol--I think one of the reasons 50 SHADES OF GRAY (which I have not read) is getting such attention is the latent "Let Daddy Drive" urge inside many of us. There is something liberating about having a man who takes charge.

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  30. Love the excerpt and the giveaway =) looking forward to reading this.

    best wishes, Linda xo

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  31. Congratulations on the book. Do you have a favorite actor in mind
    when you create your male/female character? (just in case,
    the opportunity arises to put them in a film.)

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  32. I love historical romances and vikings are just yummy! I love a strong heroine as well. From the excerpt I added this to my TBR list it look wonderful.
    Carin

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  33. Lord of Fire and Ice sounds like such a great story. I'm really looking forward to reading it.

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  34. Wow this book sounds really good. I would love to win this book.

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  35. Ooh I love me some hot alpha Viking!!! This book looks awesome can't wait to read this!!!!
    andieleah78@gmail.com

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  36. Beautiful excerpt, every woman wants a man that can steal her breath away. Thanks for sharing Mia!

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  37. It is a great excerpt and interesting that the hero is the slave in this story.

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